Will moving I-81 hurt businesses north of Syracuse? NY DOT is taking a look

Updated Sep 11, 2019; Posted Sep 11, 2019

Teri Weaver | tweaver@syracuse.c

DeWitt Deputy Supervisor Kerry Mannion, at the mic, and Salina Town Supervisor Colleen Gunnip talk on behalf of Save 81, a group opposed to the proposal to reroute Interstate 81 around Syracuse, N.Y. Teri Weaver | tweaver@syracuse.com.

Now, New York’s Department of Transportation is taking a look at whether shifting the federal highway a few miles east would hurt the towns of Salina, Clay and Cicero.

“They have been concerned about the potential economic impact of moving Interstate 81 over to Interstate 481,” said Mark Frechette, the I-81 project director. “We have also agreed to expand our economic analysis that’s in the report today to take a look at those northern suburbs.”

The I-81 project would rework Syracuse’s highway system. Under the state’s current proposal, called a “community grid,” DOT would tear down a part of I-81 near downtown Syracuse and reroute traffic onto I-481.

Parts of the existing I-81 – from Cicero south to the edge of downtown Syracuse – would remain a high-speed road without traffic signals.

But that road would have a new name, Business Loop 81. And some owners of hotels, gas stations and other businesses that now line I-81 are worried about losing customers once the federal highway moves east.

Teri Weaver | tweaver@syracuse.c

More than 600 people came to the I-81 open house at the Oncenter in Syracuse. They were encouraged to leave comments about the $2 billion proposed project that would reshape the region's highway system. Teri Weaver | tweaver@syracuse.com Teri Weaver | tweaver@syracuse.com

“We don’t have all the answers,” Frechette said Tuesday. “People do bring really good ideas to the table.”

Frechette didn’t specify the exact topics or data that would emerge from the economic analysis of the northern suburbs. He said the analysis would be similar to other areas already studied as a part of DOT’s 15,000-page environmental review of the project. That data looks loss of business and jobs, and changes to properties that could happen as part of the project.

“We’re expanding on that,” he said, “to try to take a look at whether or not there’s indirect impacts associated with the economic changes that are being presented under the community grid.”

Frechette also didn’t know when the economic analysis, or other amendments to the overall plan, would become public. The state in April released a draft environmental review that details the plan and its effects on various neighborhoods, traffic patterns and properties. The state will issue a revised version of that massive document, though when is hard to say, Frechette said. He said he anticipated the next version wouldn’t be ready until 2020.

“You can’t do them in a weekend,” Frechette said of producing work that evaluates economic and traffic changes. “I wish we could. You can’t do them that quick.”

Exit 3 off I-481 in DeWitt

This exit that leads to the area’s largest Wegmans and the eastern suburbs is already jam-packed during the evening commute. Yet the initial I-81 plan didn’t suggest any changes to the exit, which connects to Route 5, or East Genesee Street. “We are looking at that,” he said. “We’re collecting traffic volumes. What is the true solution for Route 5? We want to get what we believe is the right answer.”

New off-ramp at Colvin Street for northbound traffic

Right now, northbound traffic can get onto I-81 at Colvin. Frechette said the DOT got several suggestions – from city hall, from Syracuse University and from city residents – to consider adding an off-ramp leading to the hill for northbound traffic as well.

That new ramp would help more people coming from the south get to the Carrier Dome and the hospitals. It would be on the high-speed part of the new Business Loop 81 – meaning northbound drivers who use that exit wouldn’t encounter any traffic signals as part of the grid. “It’s another way to disperse traffic,” Frechette said. “It’s a good suggestion.”

That means Bear Street will remain a key connector for vehicles going from I-81 south to I-690 west, for example. Frechette said DOT is looking at making more improvements on Bear, including better turn lanes and signaling.

Note: An earlier version of this story said two I-81 open houses are planned for next week. Those meetings are for residents of Toomey Abbott Towers and Pioneer Homes.